What Are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown covers or "caps" a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and stability. Crowns are typically necessary when a tooth is broken and fillings won't solve the problem.
If a tooth is cracked, a crown seals the crack so the damage doesn't get worse. Crowns are also used to attach bridges, and cover badly shaped or discoloured teeth.
How is a Crown Placed?
First, the weak or decayed tooth material is drilled away until a post-like structure remains. Sometimes the remaining tooth structure is too weak to support a crown, and so an artificial "post and core" must be placed before the procedure can continue.
At Willowbrook Dental Clinic, we use dental technology to create dental crowns on-site. Once the tooth is prepared, a camera sends a digital image of the preparation to a computer screen where our dentists can design the restoration.
Will My Crown Look Natural?
Your crowns should blend in almost seamlessly with your natural teeth. To achieve a natural look, we consider various factors, such as the bite, shape, colour and length of your teeth.
After your crown is placed, your teeth should not only be stronger, but they will be more attractive, too.
Why Crowns Instead of Veneers?
Veneers are used to try and improve only the appearance of a tooth, and not its structural integrity. Crowns, on the other hand, are customarily indicated for teeth that have sustained significant structural damage.
They can even be used to replace missing teeth. Crowns may be placed on natural teeth, or on dental implants.
How Should I Take Care of My Crowns?
Avoid chewing on hard foods, ice or other hard objects. If you grind your teeth, you'll want to deal with this issue before getting a crown, as it could become damaged.
Otherwise, care for your dental crowns much like you would your natural teeth. Visit your dentist regularly, and brush and floss daily; cleaning between your teeth is vital with crowns.
Using floss or interdental cleaners (specially shaped brushes and sticks) is important when it comes to removing plaque from the crown area where the gum and the tooth meet. Plaque buildup in that area can cause gum disease and dental decay.
If you are having major restorative work done (implants, crowns, veneers, bridges), we recommend you do a course of teeth bleaching prior to having the work done. This is because, if the restorative work is matched to yellow or grey teeth, there is no way to change the colour of the restoration afterwards.